Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

Sophocles: The Complete Plays

sophocles paul roche

... Show More
Collects the full texts of Sophocles's seven extant ancient Greek plays, including updated translations of Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, Ajax, Electra, Philoctetes, and The Women of Trachis, accompanied by stage directions, prefaces to each play, and other helpful notes. Original.

420 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1,-0401

This edition

Format
420 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published
March 1, 2001 by New American Library
ISBN
9780451527844
ASIN
0451527844
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for sophocles

sophocles

... Show More
Sophocles (497/496 BC-406/405 BC), (Greek: Σοφοκλής; German: Sophokles, Russian: Софокл, French: Sophocle) was an ancient Greek tragedian, known as one of three from whom at least one play has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those of Aeschylus; and earlier than, or contemporary with, those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost fifty years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens which took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in thirty competitions, won twenty-four, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won thirteen competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles; Euripides won four.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, though each was part of a different tetralogy (the other members of which are now lost). Sophocles influenced the development of drama, most importantly by adding a third actor (attributed to Sophocles by Aristotle; to Aeschylus by Themistius), thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights.

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
29(29%)
4 stars
36(36%)
3 stars
35(35%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Ephemeralx00
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
A nice flow to the text, which tries to stick with the original poetic meter.
Good Intro to each play. Glossary and Textual Notes are at the back, which makes it a bit clunkier to use than if the Notes were at the bottom of the text's pages.
I usually refer to this while using the Hackett translations as my main text.
But with the meter, and the use of "older" language (and not modern words and phrases) this may appeal more to some readers.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Faerie888
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
who am i to give some of the most iconic plays of all time four stars? idk, i’m just basing this on how i liked it. there’s nothing much to say since these are such classics, but of course they’re good. it only took me so long to read because i’ve been busy. aristotle said something about oedipus being the best tragedy of all time and i might have to agree. the oedipus cycle was great, but so are all of sophocles’ other plays. i especially liked electra since i was very familiar with agamemnon’s story from the illiad and the odyssey. it was nice to see the aftermath there. also like reading a positive take on neoptolemus in philoctetes. i could comment on them all, but nobody wants that. bottom line is these are good and necessary additions to the tbr of an ancient greece enthusiast
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
feuillles
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
I would not remember much of this book for my life,
but if I could to carry with me these two quotes I would like.

"I rate the man as nothing worth who feels the glow of idle hopes." - Ajax

"How then could royalty be sweeter for me to have than painless rule and influence? Not yet am I so misguided as to desire other honors than those which profit." - Creon
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Stradivarios
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
Un poco pesado por la intervención de los coros, las constantes lamentaciones de los personajes y el formato de obra teatral. Además de los nombres que cuestan un poco de trabajo. Sin embargo, las historias están muy bien contadas y para su época es sencillamente excelente.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Godslayerr
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
Dans l'ensemble je pense que je préfère les pièces de Sophocles à celles d'Euripide, il a des vrais moments d'humour que j'ai beaucoup appréciés.

3.5

Ajax - 4/5 - Sophocle est beaucoup plus drôle qu'Euripide, la dispute entre Teucros et Menelas (booh) et Agamemnon (boohx2) m'a achevée.
Antigone - 5/5 - Antigone mon amour ma vie.
Œdipe roi - 4/5 - Iconique
Électre - 3/5 - Je trouve que la version d'Euripide était non seulement mieux écrite mais aussi plus intéressante. Cette Electra est presque une version soldée d'Antigone.
Les trachiniennes - 2.5/5 - Hercule aurait dû souffrir plus... Quel gros porc.
Philoctète - 2/5 - Ah super. Mes deux personnages préférés, Ulysse et Néoptolème, unis pour manipuler un mec qu'Ulysse a abandonné sur une île pendant dix ans afin de conquérir Troie. Génial. J'aime trop.
Œdipe à colone - 4/5 - J'aime beaucoup, je suis une grande fan de rancune, donc Oedipe qui meurt et se fait enterrer loin de chez lui pour faire chier ses proches est très iconique à mon avis
Les limiers - C'est un fragment de rien du tout, donc je ne donne pas de note.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Shirayukin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
This was my first true foray in Classical Greek literature (D.W.'s version of The Odyssey in Arthur not withstanding). I had seen a production of Antigone in high school, and Greek mythology is not exactly foreign to me, but I'd never read any original works of the time.

While at first this translation seemed a little too modern to me, I soon grew to enjoy it; it was very easy to understand, and I was able to go through the plays quickly. Due to their somewhat depressing nature I only read one play every few days, but they weren't hard reads. I wasn't terribly impressed when I first began, mainly because I don't think the first play, Aias, is one of the strongest--or maybe it was one that I personally didn't connect to as much. But then I read Women of Trakhis, and my opinion changed. It's definitely my favorite out of the whole book.

I'd recommend this translation for people who, like me, are wary of of jumping into Greek drama with very little experience beforehand.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
landre
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
... Show More
Some of these translations were easier to follow than others, and some of the other plays a bit opaque to me, but all told I enjoyed learned from reading this collection.
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.